Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month isDecibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

Sammy O’Hagar made a salient point a few weeks ago in extending four out of five horns to the new self-titled Eyehategod album: “No matter how many times a band’s been ripped off, their sound is still best heard coming from them. Carcass schooled 20 years of derivative deathgrind with Surgical Steel [and] Gorguts showed up about a third of the Profound Lore roster last year.” Mind you, I’d suggest Willowtip as a more appropriate outgrowth of the Gorguts sound, but to each their own—the most relevant component of the review is that,in lieu of reinventing the wheel, EHG smartly concentrated on improving their acumen behind it.That’s how you stay ahead of the imitators.

This wasn’t easy. First of all, they took a 14-year sabbatical between full-lengths, which is plenty of time to lose your fastball. Second, and far more important, founding drummer Joey LaCaze passed away prematurely last year. While the band still utilized LaCaze’s tracks (and nothing else from the original Billy Anderson sessions) on the record, it’s asking a lot to overcome the loss of a personality so vital to the music. But with time and dedication, Eyehategod figured it out. J. Bennett catches up with the doom/sludge icons in the July cover story, where veterans like Mike “IX” Williams, Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton are refreshingly frank about bad habits, big expectations and a bright future with new drummer Aaron Hill.

We told you about July’s flexi disc(s) a couple of weeks ago, but the rest of the issue is just as loaded. Maybe someday we’ll deliver the thus-far-unprecedented dB trifecta (cover story + flexi + Hall of Fame on the same band), but the making of Teutonic thrash terrors Destruction’s Infernal Overkill is plenty badass, in addition to the latest on Agalloch, Torche, Mayhem and King Buzzo. Take as needed for euphoria.

The July 2014 issue of Decibel also features Arch Enemy, Mayhem, and Agalloch, and can be purchased here… but if you don’t just get a full subscription, you risk incurring the wrath of Todd Jones.